A standard type of bulb holder for lamp bulbs of the type used in automotive head lamps comprises an insulating support in which the bulb is mounted having an integral hollow receptacle socket. The bulb holder is mounted in the reflector of the automotive vehicle and when the conductors are connected to the terminal tabs of the bulb, it is merely necessary to insert a suitably designed and dimensioned connector plug into the receptacle of the bulb holder.
While a wide variety of connector plugs might be designed which would serve the purpose of connecting the wires of the automotive harness to the terminals in the bulb holder, there are certain requirements for the plug receptacle which must be satisfied. For example, the connector plug should be as compact as reasonably possible for the reason that open space in the vicinity of the head lamps of a vehicle is limited and under many circumstances there is only limited clearance for the connector plug. Additionally, the connector plug should be sealed against the admission of moisture for the reason that it will be used in a hostile environment and if it is not sealed, the terminals may deteriorate rapidly. A further desirable feature for the connector plug is that it should be serviceable or repairable in the sense that is should be possible to remove one or more of the terminals from the connector for replacement or repair. At the same time, the retainers for retaining the terminals in the housing of the connector plug should provide a high degree of assurance that the connector will function throughout its life without failure and without accidental removal of the terminals from the plug housing. The present invention is directed to the achievement of a compact cylindrical connector having an improved contact retainer and improved sealing features which is particularly intended for use with a head lamp bulb holder of the type described above.